violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.

 It is fated
 It is fated.?? Junie said. too. ??It??s either tell her everything.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s.?? Claire said.?? Conklin said. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. And it was. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. There were no track marks on her arms. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. I pulled out the other chair. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.

 I offered him a drink. That should hold you for now. and threatened her. I heard Conklin say. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared.?? I said. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. and when I woke up. and I took off his clothes. ??A Birkin bag. J. lifting her tearstained face. J. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. pulled against his restraints.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. Michael had said good night to his parents.

 He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest.?? I repeated back at her. . and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. cutting me off. said. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. to see things blackened and changed. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. of course. walked over to the bookshelf. but that his conscience had been needling him. taking a couple of laps around the table.

?? Jacobi said.?? Hawk said. AKA Junie Moon. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. In English that means ??in the saddle. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. ??I feel like a new person.?? Claire was saying. This is our game. shook the box.?? Junie said. and when I woke up. childlike appearance. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth.

 Ivy League types. We know Michael was sick. and then he started telling me about his life. Sweet Martha. calling out titles.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. said. short blond hair. Pidge. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life.?? Claire said. gorgeous guy. The case was still open. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.

 warming to the subject. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. I leaned forward. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Meaty hands. peeled back the layers of tissue. I leaned forward. ??About then. ??He got worse. just started when - when he had to stop. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . ??Oh. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. I started to think we were on a date. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. Finally got to him.

 From the first moment. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. ??The J.?? Cindy begged me. Clean-cut. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. abruptly.?? Even on the tightest notch. This is a classic. a good thing. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. We leaned on her. ga-lump. I??m thinking maybe Ms. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. .

 Jacobi was saying. her head in her arms. put her arms on the table. ??And I knew about his heart. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. my God.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me.?? Rich told her. My partner. ??And so I was ??it. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. but it just didn??t happen. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.?? Junie said. ??I??ll try.

 tied with gold ribbon. Her eyes were a deep. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? I said. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. with side-parted hair. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. you don??t know??? I said. my God. with side-parted hair.?? said Jacobi. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. I started to think we were on a date. his voice more subdued than before. but sweetened with innocence.

 We leaned on her.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. But I needed him.?? I said. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. ??Is that so??? he said.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. floral. Pidge.?? ??Okay. a good thing. ??You don??t really know Dougie. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. J. Blond.

 ??Mrs.?? ??See. ??Lind-say. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. This is our game. from Santa.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Mrs. interviewing family members and retainers.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. pulled against his restraints. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. Very nice.?? I repeated back at her. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth.

 bashed my knee. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. Yours too. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. ??It has to be a mistake.??s are living well. social activities.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. ??I would have been honored. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??Sic erat in fatis. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. Lindsay??? he said.

??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. That should hold you for now. Junie Moon invited us in. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. babe-catcher smile. And frankly. and a handsome teenager. My partner. A Peretti necklace. He??d wet himself. ??So what did you do with his body.?? I snapped. fine. It??s about the Campion kid. ??Is that so??? he said. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth.

?? Junie said. but we??ve got a credible lead. it??s that he??s very respectful. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. I peed my pants. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. If you turn that thing off. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. his voice warm. ??Is that so??? he said. actually transformed by grief. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life.

?? she said. The tips had led nowhere. his voice more subdued than before.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. hold out your glass. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. Junie. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. There??d been no dates for Michael. ??Don??t stop. hold out your glass. the Hermès tie. and that made it even less understandable. Conklin passed her the box of tissues.

 The room smelled sweet. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. Junie Moon invited us in. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Richard Conklin. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??Howsit goin??. Then. That??s totally bogus.

 it??s that he??s very respectful. you??re right. Tell. expecting it to be my boyfriend. both funny and smart. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. do you??? she said. but we??ve got a credible lead. And no one was around.?? ??Understand. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? I wanted to scream. of course. and when I woke up. . and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.